Thousands of street celebrations were held around the country to commemorate the Queen’s Coronation in June 1953, just as there will be this coming Sunday as Britain commemorates Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee.
Young and old Britons flocked to Westminster Abbey to celebrate the Queen’s coronation, which was broadcast live to an estimated 20 million people in the United Kingdom.
To commemorate the Queen’s 70 years on the reign, images from the 1953 street festivities have been colorized and enhanced.
They feature families from Buckinghamshire, North Oxfordshire, and London’s Wimbledon and Edmonton. They capture a small part of the celebration’s enthusiasm.
The Britons in the images reflected on their experiences at the street gatherings.
Jean Flannery, who was eight years old on Coronation Day, provided images of herself wearing a paper crown and clothing taken in Bletchley, Buckinghamshire.
‘My mum made the costumes for the fancy dress contest, mostly out of crêpe paper,’ Ms Flannery recalled. With a Coronation crown, I wore a red, white, and blue outfit.
Carole, my four-year-old sister, dressed up as ‘Hip, Hip, Hurray!’ My cousin Ken, who was nine years old at the time, was a ‘Royal Herald.’ Ken went on to win the tournament in an outfit created by my mother, which irritated me greatly.’
Her images were taken in her family’s back garden, with her father’s cabbages and the washing of her neighbors as the backdrop.
They’shivered’ in their costumes, she said, because it was ‘very cold’ for June and it rained. ‘It was a very unique day for us all to remember,’ she continued.
There were also town-wide events to commemorate the Coronation, in addition to her family’s celebrations.
‘We went to a local church hall for a children’s party. We were treated to a celebratory tea with sandwiches, jelly, and cake,’ Ms Flannery explained.
‘All of the kids received commemorative Coronation mugs and plates. Flags and bunting could be seen all over the place.’
‘Back in 1953, there were no shops where you could buy or rent a costume, so everything had to be handcrafted,’ said Mr Wills, who is now 77 years old.
‘In her infinite wisdom, my mother decided to dress me up as a Coronation Cracker made from of red, white, and blue crêpe paper with white ribbon.
‘A new idea in line with the occasion, but not very practical if you want to see it in front of you; it’s quite fragile and prone to tearing.’
‘Although I didn’t win the competition, I was able to preserve my costume intact for this photograph.’ Spam sandwiches, beautiful cakes, and lemonade were among the treats available to us kids.
‘I’m sure the adults washed the feast down with Banbury Ale.’ This is in stark contrast to a few years ago, when everything was rationed.’
While rationing had not been completely eliminated by the time of the Coronation, limits on sweets, chocolate, eggs, and cream had been lifted ahead of time, albeit sugar was still restricted.
Mr. Wills told how the street party he was a part of was organized by neighbors who had moved into their council houses in 1947, only two years after WWII ended.
The party was held on a concrete road that had been constructed alongside four homes for local cops.
Sergeant Howkins, one of the cops, is seen standing next to his residence in the photos.
‘In anticipation of the big day, every structure in the land was decked out in the patriotic colors of red, white, and blue bunting and Union Jack Flags,’ Mr Wills continued.
Pamela Smith, 75, of Liverpool, is seen with her brother and sister at a large table during a street celebration.
‘Our community had been planning the street party for Coronation Day for months,’ she said.
‘I was five years old when the Queen’s father died, and I recall that when the news of his death was reported on the radio, my first thought was, “the king is dead.”
‘It was a solemn news report, and I felt instantly that it was a watershed moment.’ The coloured and improved shot is stunning; the colors give the impression that time has stopped.’
‘These colorized images offer an unprecedented glimpse into a significant era in history,’ said Roi Mandel, Director of Research at MyHeritage.com.
‘Black-and-white photographs don’t do justice to Coronation Day as it is remembered by people who were present: vibrant.’
‘The Union Jack flew from every window and rooftop; public areas were covered in brilliant decorations, and the processions were decorated in magnificent costumes.’
‘Using MyHeritage technology to breathe fresh life into these images appears to bring them closer to the spirit of the day and the recollections of people who were there.’
‘The wonderful part is that anyone can use this technology to bring old family photos to life in full, bright color and commemorate the past.’